Who is the harbour owned by? Is it those who own the privatised land the water makes contact with? Or do the various boats on the waters claim a predetermined sphere of mass as they glide on the mere surface? Are the dying oysters who act as the lungs of the estuary even considered in this grab? Space is no longer something lived, created, and experienced but something to be looked at and appreciated. The project negotiates the increasing fragmentation and complexity of the contemporary city to create moments of lived space, breaking the continuum of everyday life.
This story begins by sketching and understanding how the human-constructed land initially extends into the water but also how the water slowly extends back to meet with a handshake.
A drain opens monthly in a dramatic gesture, releasing the shells below. The shells are intentionally broken in this process, maximising their surface area for when the baskets are submerged.
Adding a ramped pathway that curves right just before reaching the dock, we pause and take in the harbour from a wider angle, letting them experience the scene.
This studio project was based on the Moreton Island project by OzWatch, which I had personally participated in recently. 230 baskets were made on the day.